World
India
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the safe return of NASA’s Crew-9 astronauts after being stranded in space for nine months. The White House emphasized Trump’s commitment to space exploration, calling the rescue a fulfillment of his promise.
The astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov successfully splashed down in the Gulf of America aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. The mission was made possible by a collaborative effort between NASA, SpaceX, and Elon Musk, marking another milestone in space travel.
Trump: ‘Promise Made, Promise Kept’
Following the crew’s return, Trump took to social media, declaring, “PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down, thanks to Elon Musk, SpaceX, and NASA!”
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, congratulated the teams involved and acknowledged Trump’s role in prioritizing the mission. “Congratulations to the SpaceX and NASA teams for another safe astronaut return! Thank you to Donald Trump for prioritizing this mission!” Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Congratulations to the @SpaceX and @NASA teams for another safe astronaut return!
Thank you to @POTUS for prioritizing this mission! https://t.co/KknFDbh59s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 18, 2025
The prolonged mission was due to Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft issues, which surfaced during a test flight piloted by Williams and Wilmore in June 2024. Initially intended as a week-long mission, technical failures resulted in the astronauts remaining in space for over nine months.
Historic Return and Mission Accomplishments
After their long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Crew-9 astronauts splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. Recovery teams from SpaceX retrieved the spacecraft and transported the astronauts to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they reunited with their families.
During the mission, the crew completed 4,576 Earth orbits, covering over 121 million miles in space. Williams conducted two spacewalks, setting a new record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut 62 hours and 6 minutes. The team also contributed to over 150 scientific experiments, including research on stem cell technology, plant growth, and circadian rhythm lighting systems.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, a partnership with SpaceX and Boeing, aims to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation. The program enhances research opportunities aboard the ISS and supports NASA’s broader goals of lunar and Mars exploration. Following Crew-9’s return, NASA launched SpaceX Crew-10 on March 16, 2025, marking the start of another long-duration mission.
ALSO READ: Why Were NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams And Butch Wilmore Stuck In Space?
